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BOSTON (May 2009)—In early March 2009, research group Forrester unveiled figures suggesting the majority of US consumers are influenced by environmental concerns when making a purchase. Further, its report revealed a small but dedicated number are willing to pay more for goods which have been produced and packaged with green issues in mind. Considering this data it is perhaps surprising how many electronics manufacturers are continuing to produce traditional paper instruction manuals every year.

According to the Environmental Defense Fund, paper is the largest single component of solid waste, making up a quarter of the litter sent to landfills and incinerators in the US. But despite these figures, manufacturers are still failing to embrace new technology which can not only save them money but also serve to improve their green credentials. So what alternatives are there for businesses looking to ditch the paper manuals and modernize?

Technical support group Talk Me Through It (TMTI) has unveiled a unique solution in the form of product simulators which can be activated by customers both in electronics stores, online or on their own smart phone. This up-to-date take on paper instruction manuals sees users 'walk through' the most popular functions of their gadgets to learn 'virtually' how to get the most out of the product. As well as reducing costs for manufacturers, the simulators are likely to strongly appeal to modern-day consumers who are becoming increasingly environmentally savvy.

"While it would be wonderful for companies to make decisions based on environmental concerns, we know the reality is that the decision needs to be driven by numbers," said Kimberly Kapner of TMTI. "That's why clients love our 'Manual out of the Box' program." She added that in addition to significantly cutting a company’s environmental impact by reducing paper, packaging and shipping weight, TMTI clients see "huge financial returns in replacing paper manuals with simulators" through reduced calls to call centers, increased sales, increased ARPU and fewer returns. "The concept satisfies needs of the head of CSR, the CFO, and the CEO," Ms Kapner explained.

Already, a number of large electronics retailers have taken advantage of the dynamic technology including mobile giants Vodafone and Orange, and camera manufacturer Canon. As well as reducing costs and being less damaging to the environment, TMTI says that installing a product simulator is a faster process than creating and updating a paper alternative.

Find out more about how Product Simulators could benefit your business by calling TMTI today.